Bleacher Report's Picks for College Basketball Awards in 2015-16 Season

The picks are in for Bleacher Report's preseason college basketball awards.

We've waited seven months for hoops to return since Duke won the 2015 national title, and as has become the case in this era of college basketball, the best talent in the country left early for the NBA. Only three starters are back from the national championship game. Only four of the 15 Associated Press All-Americans returned. 

Our preseason awards winners are the names you should be familiar with as we enter the season, which starts Friday. A freshman who took home two of our preseason honors is a talent the college game has rarely seen, and several of our winners are from under-the-radar power conference schools rarely in the limelight. 

Bleacher Report college basketball insiders Jason King, C.J. Moore and Kerry Miller comprised our awards panel. Congratulations to the winners. Now go make our writers look smart. 

Player of the Year: Ben Simmons, LSU

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Ben Simmons and Kris Dunn were the two players in consideration, and if both play up to expectations, the winner could end up being the guy on the more successful team.

Simmons has more talent around him at LSU, and he's going to make guys look better than they ever have before. That's what makes him so valuable. Not only is he an athletic 6'10" point forward who can blow by defenders and handle the ball, but he also has terrific vision and is a great passer.

If Simmons were to win Player of the Year, he would become the first freshman to do since Anthony Davis in 2012. Like Davis, his scoring numbers may not jump off the page, but he impacts the game in so many ways that he'll be one of the most valuable players in the country.

Runner-up: Kris Dunn, Providence

Defensive Player of the Year: Gary Payton II, Oregon State

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

You could argue that no singular player had a bigger impact on his program's defense than Gary Payton II last season. The Beavers went from ranking 215th in adjusted defensive efficiency in 2013-14 to 16th last season in Payton's first year at the school, per kenpom.com.

Payton is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in college basketball and does as much for the Beavers on the defensive end as any guy in the country.

Last season, Payton ranked second in the nation in steals per game (3.1), led his team in rebounding (7.5 per game) and recorded the second most blocks per game (1.2) on the team. All this from a 6'3" point guard.

The Beavers return all five starters, and the expectation should be to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1990 when Payton's dad was running the show. 

Runner-up: Jakob Poeltl, Utah

Best Transfer: Ryan Anderson, Arizona

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Ryan Anderson put himself in a spectacular situation by transferring from Boston College to Arizona. Not only is he pretty much guaranteed to be on a winning team, but he's likely the go-to guy for the Wildcats after they lost four of five starters to the NBA.

In 2013-14 at Boston College, Anderson averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and transferred after a coaching change. He and San Francisco grad transfer Mark Tollefsen are the only players on Arizona's roster to have ever averaged double figures at the D-1 level. 

Sean Miller likes to use his power forward inside and out, and Anderson's game fits the system well. The senior got off to a good start this preseason by leading the Wildcats with 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in his unofficial debut, a blowout exhibition win over Chico State. 

Runner-up: Damion Lee, Louisville

Freshman of the Year: Ben Simmons, LSU

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

This group of freshmen isn't as talented as the group from a year ago, but Simmons would be one of the top freshmen in any class.

Simmons came to the United States from Australia three years ago and played his high school ball at Montverde Academy in Florida, winning three straight national championships. That's the same program that produced D'Angelo Russell, who was a first-team All-American in his one year at Ohio State. 

In his senior year at Montverde, Simmons averaged 28.0 points, 11.9 rebounds and four assists per game. 

Simmons is the favorite to win Freshman of the Year, but if LSU struggles, that could be Kentucky's gain. Both Skal Labissiere and Jamal Murray should put up numbers and have a huge role in Kentucky's success. Simmons is also battling Labissiere for the top spot in the 2016 NBA draft.

Runner-up: Skal Labissiere, Kentucky

Breakout Player: Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin

Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Two years ago, Wisconsin had some dude named Frank Kaminsky who had averaged 4.2 points per game as a sophomore and turned into one of the best big players in the country.

Bronson Koenig isn't exactly an unknown, as Kaminsky was, but he has the chance to see his role dramatically increase after the Badgers lost four of their six leading scorers from last year's team. It's not just opportunity, either.

Koenig has the ability to put up big numbers. Last season as more of a role player, he averaged 8.7 points and 2.5 assists and shot 40.5 percent from beyond the arc. 

Great shooters usually thrive in Wisconsin's system. What sets Koenig apart from other talented guards Bo Ryan has had is that not only can he shoot, but he's also hard to contain off the bounce. He and Nigel Hayes should be one of the best duos in the Big Ten.

Runner-up: Malik Pope, San Diego State

Most Exciting Player to Watch: Kyle Collinsworth, BYU

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Triple-doubles are fun, huh? Well, BYU's Kyle Collinsworth tied Shaquille O'Neal's NCAA record for career triple-doubles (six) last season, and he did it all in one year. Look for him to obliterate the record this season.

Collinsworth averaged 13.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists last year. He could take on more of a scoring role this season with the graduation of leading scorer Tyler Haws. Collinsworth prefers to be a setup man, but when needed, he can score too. He had six games with 20-plus points last year. 

Collinsworth is a lot of fun to watch—and so is his team. BYU is arguably the most exciting team to watch in college basketball. The Cougars play fast, share the basketball and compete in high-scoring games, which is a treat compared to some of the slugfests elsewhere. They ranked second in the NCAA in scoring last year, and with Collinsworth back, they should be up near the top again. 

Runner-up: Jamal Murray, Kentucky

Comeback Player of the Year: Caris LeVert, Michigan

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Caris LeVert is back and should be plenty motivated for his senior season. The Michigan Wolverines struggled last season, winning only 16 games and missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010.

LeVert was putting up nice numbers (14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game) before a foot injury shelved him for the year in mid-January, but he wasn't quite as good as hoped.

It was expected going into last season that LeVert would leave for the NBA. He was smart to come back to school, as NBA teams will want to see him stay healthy and show he can dominate at the college level. He's off to a good start, as he scored 22 points in Michigan's exhibition opener against Le Moyne. 

LeVert's ability to score and set up teammates has always made him a great fit in John Beilein's offense. It's hard to imagine a Beilein team struggling for a second straight year, so expect the best out of LeVert and a bounce-back year for the Wolverines.

Runner-up: Alex Poythress, Kentucky

Most Underrated: Taurean Prince, Baylor

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You're not going to find Taurean Prince's name on any preseason All-American lists, but it wouldn't be all that shocking to see his name appear on the postseason lists.

Prince is one of the most talented wings in the country. Part of the reason he often gets overlooked is he came off the bench last year and is overshadowed by rebounder extraordinaire Rico Gathers.

Gathers is a special talent for the Bears, but Prince is the team's best player and a rare breed in college basketball. You're not going to find many 6'8" guys who can knock down the three (39.5 percent last season) and defend both guards and big men.

Last season, Prince averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. If he scores a couple more buckets per game and Baylor is successful, he'll get the attention he deserves. 

Runner-up: Monte Morris, Iowa State